ONE DAY AFTER THE BETRAYAL

Joette Katz, Department of Children and Families Commissioner, met with staff June 24 at Connecticut Juvenile Training School. The original plan called for meeting with Youth Service Officers but the agenda was hijacked and others slithered in to steal the glory. In the South there is a saying “a man can’t sit and eat at a table he did not set.” Yet that is exactly what occurred at CJTS; an agenda was crafted by a cabal [conspiratorial group] away from prying eyes, YSOs had no knowledge of who would speak until the last moment. Then around 2pm [one hour before Katz arrived] three people decided who would speak and what the agenda would consist of. Now in all fairness some people worked hard getting signatures for the letter and petition that was the impetus for Katz coming. However after the train left the station, others jumped on without buying a ticket [they saw an opportunity to present a different agenda for management]. At some point a decision was made to open the meeting for YSOs to speak their mind, after obstructionists went into the hen house and stole all the eggs [i.e. cheated YSOs of their glory].

One day after the betrayal some YSOs are complaining to this blog how disillusioned employees are that a lack of unity allowed such shenanigans to take place: loyalty is a thing of the past while personal gain is paramount is this scenario. One day after the betrayal nefarious forces at CJTS seek to shift the blame to other people for YSOs being stabbed in the back. In the past such a strategy might have worked, but one day after the betrayal employees might not be so easily fooled. Who will those who put the agenda together blame for meeting in secret and not telling YSOs about inserting others to speak? Who can explain to YSOs [day of Katz meeting] standing at the CJTS clock tower why the agenda changed suddenly, and they did not know it? My Lord, a few misguided souls are seeking to blame this blog for “causing division among CJTS employees” over what happened one day after the betrayal. One thing is certainly clear now; management had a plan in motion to water down YSOs concerns to Katz. There was no mention of the racial animus on CJTS campus. How did the agenda fail to mention Superintendent Rosenbeck’s callous disregard for employee concerns that ignited this outcry for a meeting with Katz in the first place.

Shifting the blame is an old trick used by pickpockets on public transportation. If a pickpocket is caught with his/ her hand in a back pocket or purse they look at the victim and holler “thief.” Then all eyes are on the person who is being victimized not the person actually stealing. Therefore at CJTS – one day after the betrayal- a hue and cry goes out against so called disruptors of employee unity. Man give me a damn break. The smoke is clearing up from the debacle on June 24th and people are seeing correctly what happened … who caused it. No staff writers of this blog caused the agenda to change [the usual suspects] but those co-workers that lied and tried to do it with a straight face are to blame.

This staff writer congratulates YSOs for standing up like adults and finally fighting back. Now there is more work to do in pin pointing exactly why the correct agenda did not get presented and culprits behind it all.

One day after the betrayal all that shines is not gold.


Yet when we achieved and the new world dawned,
The old men came out again and took our victory,
To remake in the likeness of the former world they knew.
- T.E. Lawrence





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